Inserting Value into Customer Account at Point of Sale Using a Customer Account Identifier

ABSTRACT

A method of adding a value to a customer account is provided. A request to add a value to a customer account of a customer is received from a point of sale terminal. The request may comprise value identification data associated with the value and account identification data associated with the customer account. The customer account identification data may be entered at the point of sale. The request may be associated with a purchase of the value. The value may be caused to be added to the customer account. During subsequent value purchase transactions, additional value may be added to the account.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No.10/739,301, filed Dec. 19, 2003 under Attorney Docket No. 64243.000005,which claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/519,630filed on Nov. 14, 2003, U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/519,629filed on Nov. 14, 2003, and U.S. application Ser. No. 10/253,243 filedSep. 24, 2002, which claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No.60/324,333 filed Sep. 24, 2001 and U.S. Provisional Application No.60/396,404 filed Jul. 15, 2002.

This application also claims priority to U.S. application Ser. No.10/712,182 filed Nov. 13, 2003, U.S. application Ser. No. 10/655,828filed Sep. 5, 2003, and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/698,084filed Nov. 3, 2003.

This application also claims priority to U.S. application Ser. No.10/411,971, filed Apr. 11, 2003, which claims priority to U.S.application Ser. No. 09/641,363 filed Aug. 18, 2000, now issued U.S.Pat. No. 6,575,361, which claims priority to U.S. ProvisionalApplication No. 60/149,740 filed Aug. 19, 1999.

This application also claims priority to U.S. application Ser. No.10/732,641 filed Dec. 10, 2003 under Attorney Docket No. 64243.000027.

This application is related to International Application No.PCT/US02/30281 filed Sep. 24, 2002.

All of the aforementioned applications are incorporated herein byreference in their entireties.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to stored-value card accounts. More particularly,the invention relates to adding stored value to a stored-value accountas a result of a point-of-sale transaction. The stored value account maybe managed by a third party. As described in the related applications,the data of the stored-value cards is related to services and/orproducts paid or prepaid by the owner or end user of the card. Each ofthe stored-value cards may be associated with a PIN.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Conventional stored value accounts are reloaded in a two-step process.First, the customer purchases a stored value card associated with aspecific value, such as $20. Second, the customer accesses a centralprocessor, e.g., by calling an 800 number on the back of the card, andrequests to add the card's value to the customer's account. During thecall, the customer typically provides card account information as wellas information sufficient to identify the customer's account. For amobile telephone service account, such identifying information mayinclude the identify of the telecommunications service provider (such asAT&T) as well as the customer's mobile phone number.

This two-step process is time-consuming for the customer. In particular,contacting a central processor such as an IVR and navigating through allthe prompts to provide all the necessary information can be especiallytime-consuming and/or difficult, especially for customers who do notspeak the languages of the IVR system. For pay-as-you-go accounts, theburdensome IVR system may be navigated anew each time the customer addsvalue to the account. It is desirable to provide an improved system andmethod for iteratively adding value to a stored-value account.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A method of adding a value to a customer account is provided. A requestto add a value to a customer account of a customer is received from apoint of sale terminal. The request may comprise value identificationdata associated with the value and account identification dataassociated with the customer account. The customer accountidentification data may be entered at the point of sale. The request maybe associated with a purchase of the value. The value may be caused tobe added to the customer account. During subsequent value purchasetransactions, additional value may be added to the account.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention can be more fully understood by reading thefollowing detailed description together with the accompanying drawings,in which like reference indicators are used to designate like elements,and in which:

FIG. 1 is a flowchart showing a method for supplying communicationservice value in accordance with one embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the “receiving request from customer foradding service value associated with identifier to customer account”step of FIG. 1 in further detail in accordance with one embodiment ofthe invention;

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the “verify identifier” step of FIG. 2 infurther detail in accordance with one embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the “verify customer account information”step of FIG. 2 in further detail in accordance with one embodiment ofthe invention;

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the “adding associated service value tocustomer account” step of FIG. 1 in further detail in accordance withone embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the “provide customer account summary”step of FIG. 1 in further detail in accordance with one embodiment ofthe invention;

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an illustrative system for supplyingcommunication service in accordance with one embodiment of theinvention;

FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing a method for supplying communicationservice according to an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing the “receiving request from customer foradding service value associated with identifier to customer account”step of FIG. 8 in further detail in accordance with one embodiment ofthe invention;

FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing a method of recharging an accountaccording to an embodiment of the invention.

Before any embodiment of the invention is explained in detail, it is tobe understood that the invention is not limited in its application tothe details of construction and the arrangements of components set forthin the following description or illustrated in the drawings. Theinvention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced orbeing carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that thephraseology and terminology used herein is for the purpose ofdescription and should not be regarded as limiting.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Many wireless telephone users and other recipients of goods and/orservices utilize prepaid account arrangements that require paymentbefore services will be provided. (It should be understood that prepaidwireless telephone service providers are used herein for exemplarypurposes only. The invention relates to any customer account, such as anaccount provided by a provider of one or more goods or services (such astelecommunications service). Examples of prepaid services that may beaccommodated by accounts include long distance telephone communication,wireless communication, paging and internet-enabled communicationservices, etc. For instance, prepaid telecommunications customers maypay as they go with the telecommunications carrier deducting payment forthe services directly from the customer's account.

The invention, through a combination of technologies, provides acustomer-friendly process that allows the customer to add value, i.e.,money or usage credits, to an existing customer account from apoint-of-sale (POS) device. The customer may purchase value at amerchant POS terminal or other terminal (such as an ATM). For instance,as in prior art methods, the customer may purchase a stored value cardor a PIN associated with value, such as a $20 phone card. Alternatively,a customer may simply request to have a particular value added to aspecific account. (It should be noted that the account may belong to thecustomer or another entity.) In either case, value purchase data and/orcustomer account identification data (such as phone number correspondingto a telecommunications account) may be provided, e.g., by entering itat the point of sale (e.g., a POS terminal). The value purchase data andcustomer account identification data may be passed from the POS terminalto a central processor. The central processor may identify the valueand/or the customer account based on the received value purchase dataand the customer account identification data. For instance, the centralprocessor may identify the value based on a database that links thevalue identification data (e.g., a value identifier or card number) to aspecific value. The central processor may then cause the identifiedvalue to be added to (or “inserted” into) the identified account. Forinstance, the central processor may send an automated and/or electronicrequest (e.g., via an API) to an account provider system to add thevalue to the identified customer account.

An advantage of this approach is that value may be added to a customeraccount via a single POS transaction. This saves time and hasslecompared to prior systems, which typically required a POS transactionthat activates the value followed by a subsequent phone call and IVRnavigation to cause the account provider system to have the activatedvalue added to a specific customer account.

In one aspect of the invention, a central system manages the processthat allows the customer to add service value to the customer's account.The central system may maintain a set of identifiers, or PersonalIdentification Numbers (“PINs”), with each identifier having anassociated service value, which preferably represents a monetary figure(i.e., number of dollars, $10, $25 or $50, for example), or some unit ofservice usage (i.e., minutes). Indicia associated with the identifiersare distributed to merchants for further distribution to customers. Inone example, the indicia may be distributed on magnetic stripe cardshaving predetermined values, such as $10, $25 and $50 cards. It shouldbe appreciated that each indicia, or article bearing indicia, isassociated with only one identifier maintained at the central system.Thus, each card distributed is linked to only one identifier maintainedat the central system.

Once the customer selects the indicia, or an article bearing theindicia, the customer provides payment for the service value associatedwith the identifier represented by the indicia. For example, thecustomer pays $25 for a $25 card associated with an identifierassociated with a $25 service value (e.g., the identifier may be printedon the card, e.g., beneath a scratch-off adhesive to obscure it fromview). The merchant sends a communication to the central systemconfirming the transaction with the customer so that the identifier atthe central system can be activated. Customer account identificationinformation may also be passed to the central system so that the centralsystem may identify the target account to which the value will be added.For instance, the customer may enter the phone number corresponding to atelecommunications service account at a POS device, and the POS devicemay transmit this information to the central system.

When the identifier and customer account information are identified, thecentral system may communicate with the customer's account providersystem to add the service value to the customer's account. The act ofcausing the value to be added to the customer's account is sometimesreferred to herein as “value insertion” because value is being insertedinto the customer's account. In some cases, the account provider systemmay be separate from the central system. In other cases, the centralsystem may comprise a provider system that provides the customeraccount. In these cases, value may be inserted into the customer accountwithout communicating with an external account provider.

Following the value insertion, the customer's updated accountinformation may be obtained and provided to the customer. For instance,the value insertion process may occur within a very short timeframe(e.g., 0.1 to 10 seconds), and a confirmation that the value was addedto the customer account may be passed back to the merchant (e.g., at themerchant POS terminal). Confirmation may be output to the customer,e.g., by printing a receipt or displaying a confirmation at the POSterminal.

As seen from some of the above examples, the central system may act asan intermediary between the customers, merchants and account providers.The central system may maintain arrangements with several carriers toallow for value insertion, and becomes a broker of prepaid communicationservices. The customer is benefited by having access to a resource thatcan be obtained at several points of sale and allows an easy method toreplenish service value for a number of participating carriers. Thecarriers benefit by having a product in the marketplace wherebycustomers can more easily replenish customer account balances. Lastly,the merchants benefit from increased sales because they are selling aproduct that is in demand because it is a single product that allowscustomers have value added directly into their account from a POS deviceinstead of a subsequent phone call with time-consuming and confusing IVRnavigation.

In at least one implementation of the invention, the central system maymanage at least one relational database of information while alsoallowing access by the various users of the central system (i.e.,customers, merchants, and administrators), to the various features andinterfaces of the invention. A relational database system may also allowinformation contained in different tables to be accessed and shared,while also providing the additional advantage that changes to datacontained in one table of a relational database affects the same data inany other table sharing the same data. A table is a collection ofseveral data records with similar data information fields. Data recordsrepresent a collection of data that is organized into fields. Thesefields may also be formatted to receive data of varying types.Accordingly, the central system, or a user of the system, can process,query or report data contained in the various data tables and recordsfor use in accomplishing the features of the invention. In one aspect ofthe invention, the various databases could include the set ofidentifiers and Mobile Identification Numbers (“MINs”), for example.

Method for Supplying Communication Service Value

In accordance with one embodiment of the invention, an illustrativeflowchart showing a method for supplying communication service is shownin FIG. 1 and described below.

The process begins in step S1, and passes to step S20, which includesestablishing a set of identifiers having associated service values. Asdescribed above, each identifier forms a part of a data record, oridentifier record, that allows the central system to identify thespecific associated service value that will later be sold to a customer.One example of an identifier is a Personal Identification Number(“PIN”). The PIN comprises one field of the identifier record, whileanother field in the same identifier record contains the associatedservice value. Illustratively, record X may have identifier ABC and anassociated service value of $25. The service value is preferably amonetary figure (i.e., an amount in dollars, $10, $25 or $50, forexample), but may also represent some unit of service usage, ifsupported by the carrier systems (i.e., minutes).

The set of identifiers forms the identifier database. Each identifierrecord may also contain fields for Status Indicator (i.e., whether theidentifier is Active or Inactive), Serial Number, Visa Account NetworkNumber (VAN), or a Merchant Code identifying the merchant through whichthe indicia will be distributed.

Following the establishment of the set of identifiers, in step S40, theprocess includes distributing indicia of the identifiers to merchantsfor distribution to customers. As described above, the indicia providesinformation related to the identifier for several reasons. First, theindicia allows the merchant to communicate to the central system theidentifier that must be activated following distribution. Similarly, theinformation conveyed by the indicia later allows the customer tocommunicate to the central system the identifier and the service valuepurchased when the indicia was obtained from the merchant. It should beappreciated that the indicia may also encompass any article bearing suchinformation. In other aspects, the indicia may provide instructions tothe customer for communicating with the central system.

The indicia may comprise an article, such as magnetic stripe card, smartcard, bar coded card, or any combination thereof. Either the magneticstripe, chip or bar code would contain information that represents thecard's identifier. Therefore, when completing the sale of the card tothe customer, the merchant could swipe the card through a networkterminal, or alternatively, scan the bar code on the card. Themerchant's system would then locate the identifier and notify thecentral system of the sale of the article bearing the associatedidentifier.

To allow the customer to utilize the card upon purchase, the card alsodisplays the identifier so that the customer can communicate theidentifier to the central system. In addition, the card should displaythe service value associated with the identifier represented on the cardto facilitate the customer's purchase of the correct card. Lastly, thecard should contain instructions for communicating with the centralsystem, i.e., a general toll-free number.

The indicia may also be provided to the customer through the delivery ofa receipt or other notice. In such an embodiment, the customer wouldcommence a purchase transaction at the point of sale, either through themerchant or a system device, such as a verifone terminal. The customerwould request a certain prepaid service value, and upon payment, thecentral system would deliver the identifier to the point of sale fordistribution to the customer.

Then, in step S60, the process includes activating an identifier upondistribution of indicia to a customer. As described above, theidentifiers may be activated following communication from the merchantsof the indicia distribution to the customers. This measure assists inavoiding the theft of the indicia prior to payment. The activation mayinclude changing a status indicator associated with the specificidentifier record from Inactive to Active. The communication between themerchant and central system preferably comprises a “host-to-host orVisanet connection”, but may include any network communication whereinthe central system receives input from the merchant system confirmingthe transaction. Accordingly, the features of the present invention mayuse or be combined with any of the features described in U.S.application Ser. No. 09/641,363, filed Aug. 18, 2000, (Attorney DocketNo. 431827.00007), which is incorporated herein by reference in itsentirety.

In step S80, a request from the customer for adding the service valueassociated with the identifier to a customer account may be received,e.g., by the central system. The request may occur during a transactioninvolving the distribution of the indicia to the customer. For instance,this may occur when a POS terminal transmits value data and/or customeridentification data (such as a telephone number associated with acustomer telecommunications service account) to the central system.

In some embodiments, communication with the central system may beachieved via any suitable communication interface, Ethernet connection,modem, telephone, digital or analog connections with the system usingwireless communication devices (i.e., mobile phones, PDAs, or otherhandheld wireless communication devices), point of sale device ortransceiver device (i.e., a verifone terminal, for example), token ring,Internet or Intranet or other computer connection, or any other suitableconnection that allows the customer to receive input from and sendoutput to the central system through the network connection.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the “receiving request from customer foradding service value associated with identifier to customer account”step of FIG. 1 in further detail in accordance with one embodiment ofthe invention. The request from the customer to add the service value tothe customer's account must include a value identifier (e.g., valueidentification information such as a card number, keycard identifier,card PIN number, dollar amount, or amount of minutes or other units ofvalue) representing the value associated with the purchase. The requestmay also comprise information identifying the customer's account (e.g.,the customer's phone number, ESN, or Mobile Identification Number, whichallows the central system to identify the customer's account). Thus, asshown in FIG. 2, the process continues in step S80 and passes to stepS100, wherein the identifier is verified. Following verification of theidentifier, in step S120, the customer account information is verified.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the “verify identifier” step of FIG. 2 infurther detail in accordance with one embodiment of the invention. Forinstance, in some embodiments, a central system may request thatadditional customer account identification information be transmitted tothe central system. In some embodiments, the central system may requestthat account and/or value identification information be confirmed, e.g.,by entering it again and/or pressing “yes” or “OK” at a confirmationprompt.

As shown in FIG. 3, the process continues in step S100, and passes tostep S102, wherein the central processor may request the identifierinput from the customer (i.e., prompt at POS device requesting PIN fromcard, for example). In step S104, the system may accept an identifierinput from the customer (e.g., the card number or PIN provided on apurchased card, for example). For instance, the customer may purchase acard at a merchant POS, and the merchant (or customer) may swipe thecard at a merchant POS device (such as a credit card reader or otherterminal).

In step S106, the system may determine whether the input identifiercorrelates with an identifier from the set of identifiers maintained bythe central system. The central system may compare the received valueidentifier (e.g., as received from a POS device and/or as provided bythe customer (or other entity)) with those kept in the identifierdatabase. If a record containing the PIN is found on the database, theprocess passes to step S108. If the identifier is found in the database,the system determines whether the identifier is active in step S108. Thestatus of the identifier can be determined by relating a StatusIndicator associated with the pertinent identifier record. Thus, whenthe central system finds the identifier record, it can determine whethera value in the Status Indicator field represents Active or Inactivestatus. If the identifier is found in the database and is active, thesystem determines whether the identifier has already been redeemed instep S110. This feature allows the central system to inform the customerthat the identifier has already been redeemed. In some circumstances,the customer's communication session with the central system may beended prematurely, before confirmation of the value insertion procedure.When this occurs, the customer may not be aware that the value insertionfunction was completed in the prior call. Thus, if the customer hadpreviously called within a certain period (i.e., the last 24 hours), thecentral system can inform the customer that the value insertion wassuccessful. If the identifier has not been redeemed, the process passesto step S116.

If the identifier cannot be found in the database in step S106, or theidentifier is found in the database but is determined to be inactive instep S108, or the identifier is found in the database and is active, butis determined to have already been redeemed in step S110, the processpasses to step S112. The system determines whether there has been aprevious identifier check in step S112, and if so the process passes tostep S114, where the customer is transferred to customer service. Aprevious identifier check would have occurred if the customer hadpreviously supplied identifier input and the input failed any of thedeterminations in steps S106, S108 or S110. If there had not been aprevious identifier check, the process returns to step S102, where thesystems requests that the customer re-enter the identifier input.

For those identifiers found in the system that are active and have notbeen redeemed, in step S116 the system determines the associated servicevalue for the identifier. The process then passes to step S119, whereinit returns to step S120.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the “verify customer account information”step of FIG. 2 in further detail in accordance with one embodiment ofthe invention. The customer supplies his customer account information toensure that the service value purchased is credited to the correctcustomer account (e.g., which may be identified by a MobileIdentification Number (“MIN”)) at the correct account provider system(such as a system of a telecommunications carrier that providerscustomers with communication service value accounts).

As shown in FIG. 4, the process may continue in step S120 and pass tostep S121.

Thus, in some embodiments, the system may determine whether the customerMIN (or other account identifier) was captured and/or identified. Forinstance, it may be identified when customer identification informationis passed to the central system in step S121. In some embodiments,wherein the customer contacts the system from a mobile phone (that hasan account for which value is to be added), the account corresponding tothe targeted account may be identified. For example, the customer's MINcan be captured utilizing Automatic Number Identification (“ANI”), orsimilar caller ID function. Through ANI, the central system acquires thecustomer's MIN from the ISDN transmission. Alternatively, the customermay supply his MIN upon request. This would allow the customer toconfirm which MIN account the prepaid service value should be credited.In some embodiments, the account identification information may beidentified without identifying the actual corresponding account.

It should be understood that a “MIN” is used for exemplary purposesonly, and any other account identifier is contemplated herein, such asan account number, phone number, ESN, SMS address, home or work address,name, or other information from which an account may be identified (byusing the account identification information alone or in combinationwith other information). For instance, the central system may identify aspecific account from only a last name and a mailing address. In thisexample, the last name and mailing address may serve the purpose of“account identification information”.

If the customer's MIN has not already been captured, the process maypass to step S127. If the MIN has been captured, the process may pass tostep S122, wherein the system may determine whether the customer's MINcan be found in the MIN database. The MIN database may comprise acompilation of existing MINs that includes each MIN, as well as anassociated carrier. The MIN database may be stored locally in thecentral system, or maintained externally in a publicly accessibledatabase, such as Telcordia®. This database may also include one createdpursuant to the Wireless Local Number Portability Act. If the MIN is notfound in the MIN database, the process passes to step S123. Insituations when the MIN is not found in the MIN database, the customermay have contacted the central system using a non-wireless phone orother non-telephone connection, the system prompts the customer to enterthe MIN that the customer wishes to add the service value. If the MIN isfound in the MIN database, the process passes to step S125.

In step S123, the system determines whether the system has previouslyrequested the customer's MIN from the customer. If so, the processpasses to step S 124, wherein the customer is transferred to customerservice personnel. If the customer's MIN has not been previouslyrequested, the process passes to step S127.

In step S125, the system determines whether the customer input his MIN.If so, the process passes to step S129. If not the customer did notinput his MIN, the process passes to step S126, wherein the systemdetermines whether the customer MIN has been confirmed. The confirmationincludes input from the customer that the MIN identified is the correctaccount to add the service value. If the MIN is confirmed, the processpasses to step S129.

Alternatively, if the customer MIN is not confirmed, the process passesto step S127, wherein the system requests that the customer provideinput representing the customer's MIN for which the service valueaddition is requested. Then, in step S128, the system accepts thecustomer's MIN input before returning to step S121.

In step S129, the system determines the account provider (such as thecarrier that provides a telecommunications account to the customer). Thecarrier can be determined by locating the MIN identified in the MINdatabase and relating the associated carrier. (It should be appreciatedthat while a “carrier” that provides telecommunications service accountsis being used as an example, any account provider is contemplatedherein, such as toll service account providers, emergency road serviceaccount providers, Internet service account providers, stored value cardaccount providers, and any other account provider.)

Once the carrier is determined, in step S130, the system may determinewhether the customer ought to supply a carrier region code based on thecustomer's carrier. If not, the process may skip to step S138. If thecarrier region code is required, the system may request the customer'scarrier region code in step S132. The carrier region code may berequired for carriers that have regional centers that maintain data onthe local mobile phone customers. The carrier region code may berepresented by the customer's zip code.

In step S133, the system may accept the customer's carrier region code,and the process may pass to the step S134. The system may determinewhether the carrier region code is valid in step S134. The code may bepresumed valid if it can be related to a region code maintained in acarrier specific region code database. If the code is simply thecustomer's zip code, the system can determine the appropriate carrierregion by referring to the carrier database. If the code is not valid,the process returns to step S132, wherein the system requests reentry ofthe region code. If the code is valid, the process passes to step S135,wherein the system sets an association between the customer's MIN andthe carrier region code, to avoid later requests of the code uponsubsequent interactions. The process then passes to step S138, whereinit returns to step S139.

After receiving the customer's request, in step S140, the process mayinclude adding the associated service value to the customer account.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the “adding associated service value tocustomer account” step of FIG. 1 in further detail in accordance withone embodiment of the invention. The process continues in step S140 andthen may pass to step S141, wherein the system may determine whether thecustomer's carrier supports value insertion of service value into itscustomers' accounts. If the carrier does support direct value insertion,the process passes to step S144, wherein the system access the carriersystem. Then, in step S145, the system requests approval from thecarrier system to add the service value associated with the identifierto the customer's account. In step S 146, the system determines whetherthe add value request is approved. If so, the process passes to stepS148, wherein the system adds the service value to the customer'saccount, and then passes to step S150, wherein the system obtainsupdated customer account information from the carrier system. Thisupdated account information may include the new account balance, as wellas the account's expiration date, for example. The process then passesto step S152.

However, if in step S146, the system determines that the add valuerequest was not approved, the process passes to step S147, wherein thesystem obtains the reasons from the carrier system that the valueinsertion was not approved. The process then passes to step S152,wherein the system ends the communication session with the carriersystem. The process then passes to step S159, wherein it returns to stepS160.

For those carriers that do not support direct value insertion, in stepS142, the system provides the customer with an alternate carrieridentifier. This carrier identifier operates similarly to the identifierused with the central system, however, the carrier identifier must beredeemed through communication with the carrier system. These carrieridentifiers may be maintained in a separate carrier identifier database.Accordingly, in step S143, the system transfers the customer to an IVRsystem managed by the carrier system to complete the value redemption.

Returning to FIG. 1, in step S160, the process includes providing thecustomer with a customer account summary.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the “provide customer account summary”step of FIG. 1 in further detail in accordance with one embodiment ofthe invention. The process continues in step S160, and then passes tostep S162, wherein the system determines whether the value insertion wasapproved by the carriers system. If so, the process passes to the stepS164, wherein the system provides the updated customer accountinformation to the customer. The process then passes to step S169. Ifthe value insertion was not approved, the process passes to step S166,wherein the system provides the customer with the reasons for the denialof the request. These reasons may include that the customer's balance inthe customer account is already too high or exceeds a predefined limit,the account cannot be found by the carrier, the account has beencancelled or any unspecified carrier error. The process then passes tostep S169, where it returns to step S199. Once the system provides thecustomer with the customer account summary, the process passes to stepS199, where it ends.

It should be appreciated that the methods described herein may beadapted such that each indicia of an identifier distributed may not havea predetermined associated service value. In this respect, the indiciawould include the identifier, however, the customer would be allowed toselect a service value to purchase for the card. Therefore, upondistribution of the card, the customer would select a service value,such as $25, for insertion into the record at the central system. Thecommunication from the merchant would notify the central system of theamount purchased, which would then be inserted into the associatedservice value field for the record.

An Illustrative Communication Service Value System

As described above, FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an illustrative systemfor supplying communication service value in accordance with oneembodiment of the invention. FIG. 7 illustrates a central system 10, aplurality of customer systems 20, 22, and 24, a plurality of merchantsystems 40, 42, and 44 (e.g., comprising POS terminals), and a pluralityof carrier systems 60, 62, and 64. Each customer system 20, 22 and 24may be in selective communication with the central system 10 throughcustomer network 19. Each merchant system 40, 42 and 44 may be inselective communication with the central system 10 through merchantnetwork 39. Each carrier system 60, 62 and 64 is in selectivecommunication with the central system 10 through carrier network 59. Itshould be appreciated that customer network 19, merchant network 39 andcarrier network 59 may be the same network in some embodiments of theinvention.

The central system 10 may comprise a processor portion 12 for processinginput from and generating output to the various customer, merchant andcarrier systems in communication with the central system 10, a memoryportion 14, the processor portion 12 retrieving data from and storingdata for use by the central system 10 in the memory portion 14, and auser interface portion 16 accepting input from and transmitting outputto the various customer, merchant and carrier systems in communicationwith the central system 10. Each of processor portion 12, memory portion14 and user interface portion 16 are connected to and in communicationwith each other through a data bus 11.

The processor portion 12 monitors and controls the various operations ofthe central system 10. Initially, the processor portion 12 processes theinformation provided by the merchant system 40 when confirming theindicia distribution and the customer system 20 when accessing, ormaking requests of, the central system 10.

The memory portion 14 serves as a memory store for a wide variety ofdata used by the processor portion 12, as well as the other componentsof the central system 10. For example, in one embodiment, the memoryportion 14 contains the various databases of identifiers and associatedservice values, MINs, carriers, and other information needed by thecentral system. It should be appreciated that the various memorycomponents contained in the memory portion 14 may take on a variety ofarchitectures as is necessary or desired by the particular operatingcircumstances. Further, the various memory components of the memoryportion 14 may exchange data or utilize other memory component datautilizing known techniques such as relational database techniques.

The user interface portion 16 provides the interface through which theuser can provide input to and receive output from the central system 10.The user interface portion 16 generally provides interactioncapabilities for communicating with the customer, merchant and carriersystems. The user interface portion 16 is controlled by the processorportion 12, or components thereof, to interface with a customer or otheroperating system, including inputting and outputting data or informationrelating to the central system 10. The user interface portion 16 alsoprovides the interface between the system administrator, the centralsystem 10, and other remote systems. A system administrator mainlyutilizes the user interface portion 16 to manage the storage of data andinformation in the memory portion 14, as well as provide updates to thecentral system 10 applications and functions.

In operation, a customer utilizing a suitable customer system 20accesses the central system 10 through customer network 19. The customersystem 20 may be any suitable processing machine, such as a mobilephone, as well as a computer accessing the Internet, personal digitalassistants (PDAs) or other wireless communication device, networked tocustomer network 19. The merchant system 40 may be any suitableprocessing machine, including a transceiver device (i.e., a verifoneterminal, for example) capable of receiving input from the centralsystem, printing indicia or other information, performing smart card ormagnetic stripe card reader or bar code scanner functions, and sendingoutput to the central system 10. Accordingly, in one embodiment of theinvention, to activate an identifier upon payment, the card is swipedthrough an appropriate card interface on the merchant transceiver, whichinitiates a network connection to the central system 10, wherein thecentral system 10 activates the identifier in the appropriate database.

The user interface portion 16 also transmits data to the customer system20 to present a user interface on the customer system 20 for acceptinginput and allowing the customer to submit output to the central system10. Although these user interfaces have been described with respect to asome interfaces, alternate user interfaces may be presented on anInternet web page whereby customers access the page and provide thenecessary redemption information on an appropriate form.

Although several customer systems and vendor systems are shown in FIG.7, it should be appreciated that in some embodiments of the invention,there may be only one customer system and one vendor system, each inselective network communication with the central system 10.

The user interface portion 16 accepts the customer request for valueinsertion from the customer system 20, including the identifier inputand customer account input. The processor portion 12 verifies theidentifier input with the identifier database maintained in the memoryportion 14, and then verifies the customer account input with the MINdatabase, either maintained locally in the memory portion 14 orexternally in a publicly available database of MINs. The user interfaceportion 16 then communicates with a carrier system 60 to complete thevalue insertion process before providing the customer with a customeraccount summary.

It should also be appreciated that the invention may include a devicefor distributing communication service value. Such a device may includea distribution terminal (i.e., a verifone terminal-like device or avending machine-like apparatus) that allows a customer to select aprepaid service value for purchase, and make payment for the servicevalue. The terminal would include a product selection portion forpresenting the various service value denominations available (i.e., anyuser interface for accepting the customer's selection, for example), apayment portion for receiving payment from the customer (i.e., throughcash, or magnetic stripe card or smart card readers, for example), acommunication portion for notifying the central system of the sale ofthe indicia and the need to activate the associated identifier (i.e., amodem, for example), and a delivery portion for providing the customerwith the indicia of the identifier (i.e., a mechanical card deliverysystem or printer means to provide a printout of the indicia, forexample).

As described above, FIGS. 1-6 illustrate various embodiments of themethod of the invention. FIG. 7 represents an illustrative embodiment ofthe system of the invention. It should be appreciated that the system ofthe invention or portions of the system of the invention may be in theform of a “processing machine,” such as a general purpose computer orother network operating system, for example. As used herein, the term“processing machine” is to be understood to include at least oneprocessor that uses at least one memory. That at least one memory storesa set of instructions. The instructions may be either permanently ortemporarily stored in the memory or memories of the processing machine.The processor executes the instructions that are stored in the memory ormemories in order to process data. The set of instructions may includevarious instructions that perform a particular task or tasks, such asthose tasks described above in the flowcharts. Such a set ofinstructions for performing a particular task may be characterized as aprogram, software program, or simply software.

As noted above, the processing machine executes the instructions thatare stored in the memory or memories to process data. This processing ofdata may be in response to commands by a user or users of the processingmachine, in response to previous processing, in response to a request byanother processing machine and/or any other input, for example.

As noted above, the processing machine used to implement the inventionmay be a general purpose computer. However, the processing machinedescribed above may also utilize any of a wide variety of othertechnologies including a special purpose computer, a computer systemincluding a microcomputer, mini-computer or mainframe for example, aprogrammed microprocessor, a micro-controller, a peripheral integratedcircuit element, a CSIC (Customer Specific Integrated Circuit) or ASIC(Application Specific Integrated Circuit) or other integrated circuit, alogic circuit, a digital signal processor, a programmable logic devicesuch as a FPGA, PLD, PLA or PAL, or any other device or arrangement ofdevices that is capable of implementing the steps of the process of theinvention.

It is appreciated that in order to practice the method of the inventionas described above, it is not necessary that the processors and/or thememories of the processing machine be physically located in the samegeographical place. That is, each of the processors and the memoriesused in the invention may be located in geographically distinctlocations and connected so as to communicate in any suitable manner.Additionally, it is appreciated that each of the processor and/or thememory may be composed of different physical pieces of equipment.Accordingly, it is not necessary that the processor be one single pieceof equipment in one location and that the memory be another single pieceof equipment in another location. That is, it is contemplated that theprocessor may be two pieces of equipment in two different physicallocations. The two distinct pieces of equipment may be connected in anysuitable manner. Additionally, the memory may include two or moreportions of memory in two or more physical locations.

To explain further, processing as described above is performed byvarious components and various memories. However, it is appreciated thatthe processing performed by two distinct components as described abovemay, in accordance with a further embodiment of the invention, beperformed by a single component. Further, the processing performed byone distinct component as described above may be performed by twodistinct components. In a similar manner, the memory storage performedby two distinct memory portions as described above may, in accordancewith a further embodiment of the invention, be performed by a singlememory portion. Further, the memory storage performed by one distinctmemory portion as described above may be performed by two memoryportions.

Further, various technologies may be used to provide communicationbetween the various processors and/or memories, as well as to allow theprocessors and/or the memories of the invention to communicate with anyother entity; i.e., so as to obtain further instructions or to accessand use remote memory stores, for example. Such technologies used toprovide such communication might include a network, a dedicated circuit,IP based connection, the Internet, Intranet, Extranet, LAN, WAN, VPN, anEthernet, or any client server system that provides communication, forexample. Such communications technologies may use any suitable protocolsuch as TCP/IP, UDP, OSI, SNA, X.25, ISO 85/83, XML or SOAP, forexample.

As described above, a set of instructions is used in the processing ofthe invention. The set of instructions may be in the form of a programor software. The software may be in the form of system software orapplication software, for example. The software might also be in theform of a collection of separate programs, a program module within alarger program, or a portion of a program module, for example Thesoftware used might also include modular programming in the form ofobject oriented programming. The software tells the processing machinewhat to do with the data being processed.

Further, it is appreciated that the instructions or set of instructionsused in the implementation and operation of the invention may be in asuitable form such that the processing machine may read theinstructions. For example, the instructions that form a program may bein the form of a suitable programming language, which is converted tomachine language or object code to allow the processor or processors toread the instructions. That is, written lines of programming code orsource code, in a particular programming language, are converted tomachine language using a compiler, assembler or interpreter. The machinelanguage is binary coded machine instructions that are specific to aparticular type of processing machine, i.e., to a particular type ofcomputer, for example. The computer understands the machine language.

Any suitable programming language may be used in accordance with thevarious embodiments of the invention. Illustratively, the programminglanguage used may include assembly language, Ada, APL, Basic, C, C++,COBOL, dBase, Forth, Fortran, Java, Modula-2, Pascal, Prolog, REXX,Visual Basic, and/or JavaScript, for example. Further, it is notnecessary that a single type of instructions or single programminglanguage be utilized in conjunction with the operation of the system andmethod of the invention. Rather, any number of different programminglanguages may be utilized as is necessary or desirable.

Also, the instructions and/or data used in the practice of the inventionmay utilize any compression or encryption technique or algorithm, as maybe desired. An encryption module might be used to encrypt data. Further,files or other data may be decrypted using a suitable decryption module,for example.

As described above, the invention may illustratively be embodied in theform of a processing machine, including a computer or computer system,for example, that includes at least one memory. It is to be appreciatedthat the set of instructions, i.e., the software for example, thatenables the computer operating system to perform the operationsdescribed above may be contained on any of a wide variety of media ormedium, as desired. Further, the data that is processed by the set ofinstructions might also be contained on any of a wide variety of mediaor medium. That is, the particular medium, i.e., the memory in theprocessing machine, utilized to hold the set of instructions and/or thedata used in the invention may take on any of a variety of physicalforms or transmissions, for example. Illustratively, the medium may bein the form of paper, paper transparencies, a compact disk, a DVD, anintegrated circuit, a hard disk, a floppy disk, an optical disk, amagnetic tape, a RAM, a ROM, a PROM, a EPROM, a wire, a cable, a fiber,communications channel, a satellite transmissions or other remotetransmission, as well as any other medium or source of data that may beread by the processors of the invention.

Further, the memory or memories used in the processing machine thatimplements the invention may be in any of a wide variety of forms toallow the memory to hold instructions, data, or other information, as isdesired. Thus, the memory might be in the form of a database to holddata. The database might use any desired arrangement of files such as aflat file arrangement or a relational database arrangement, for example.

In the system and method of the invention, a variety of “userinterfaces” may be utilized to allow a user to interface with theprocessing machine or machines that are used to implement the invention.As used herein, a user interface includes any hardware, software, orcombination of hardware and software used by the processing machine thatallows a user to interact with the processing machine. A user interfacemay comprise a series of Interactive Voice Responses, or take the formof a dialogue screen, for example. A user interface may be in the formof a web page or other interactive application presented on a customersystem by the customer's browser. The web page or application couldinclude fields for accepting data and transmitting data to theadvertising marketing system for storage. A user interface may alsoinclude any of a mouse, touch screen, keyboard, keypad, card slot, voicereader, voice recognizer, dialogue screen, menu box, list, checkbox,toggle switch, a pushbutton or any other device that allows a user toreceive information regarding the operation of the processing machine asit processes a set of instructions and/or provide the processing machinewith information. Accordingly, the user interface is any device thatprovides communication between a user and a processing machine. Theinformation provided by the user to the processing machine through theuser interface may be in the form of a command, a selection of data, orsome other input, for example.

As discussed above, a user interface is utilized by the processingmachine that performs a set of instructions such that the processingmachine processes data for a user. The user interface is typically usedby the processing machine for interacting with a user either to conveyinformation or receive information from the user. However, it should beappreciated that in accordance with some embodiments of the system andmethod of the invention, it is not necessary that a human user actuallyinteract with a user interface used by the processing machine of theinvention. Rather, it is contemplated that the user interface of theinvention might interact, i.e., convey and receive information, withanother processing machine, rather than a human user. Accordingly, theother processing machine might be characterized as a user. Further, itis contemplated that a user interface utilized in the system and methodof the invention may interact partially with another processing machineor processing machines, while also interacting partially with a humanuser.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing a method for supplying communicationservice. This method is very similar to the method of FIG. 1, describedabove. However, in this embodiment, the associated service value is notinitially pre-established, but instead it is determined when it isselected by a customer at the time of distribution of the identifiers tothe customer. In this respect, the indicia would include the identifier;however, the customer would be allowed to select a service value, suchas $25 or $50, for insertion into the record at the central system. Aspreviously noted, the service value could alternately be a another unitof service usage, such as a number of minutes. The communication fromthe merchant would notify the central system of the amount purchased,and this information would then be inserted into the associated servicevalue field for the record.

Thus, as shown in FIG. 8, a set of identifiers having undeterminedassociated service values is established, in step S20A. Then in stepS40, as also shown in FIG. 1, the indicia of identifiers to merchantsfor distribution to customers is distributed. Unlike in FIG. 1, theprocess proceeds to step S50, where the customer selects the associatedservice value, such as $10, $25, or $50. Then in step S60A, theidentifiers are activated and the associated service value is recordedwhen the indicia is distributed to the customer. In step S80A, therequest from the customer for adding service value associated with theidentifier to the customer's account is received. This step is furtherelaborated in FIG. 9, discussed below. Finally, the associated servicevalue is added to the customer account in step S140, and the customeraccount summary is provided in step S160.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing the “receiving request from customer foradding service value associated with identifier to customer account”step of FIG. 8 in further detail in accordance with one embodiment ofthe invention. This flowchart further elaborates step S80A shown in FIG.8. The flowchart of FIG. 8 follows the same process as described in FIG.2, above. However, in this embodiment, it is explicitly shown that afterthe identifier is verified, in step S100, the customer selects a carrierfor service from among a plurality of carriers is received, in stepS101. The process then proceeds with step S120 as in FIG. 2 when thecustomer account information is verified.

FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing a method of inserting value andrecharging a stored-value account according to the present invention.The steps of this process should be read in conjunction with the otherfigures, in particular FIG. 1 and its related figures.

In step 1001, the customer selects a card. The customer may select thecard from among a plurality of different cards. The cards may beassociated with different values and different providers. The cards areassociated with one or more prepaid services, such as wirelesstelecommunications service. For instance, the customer may select a cardenabling $40 of wireless telephone service with a particular provider.

In a preferred embodiment, the card has an associated PIN, serial number(in the form of a barcode or a magnetically stored number), and a cardnumber.

The PIN or other numbers may be hidden on the card so that they are notvisible until after purchase. For instance, the PIN may have materialcovering and hiding it, wherein the material may be scratched off with acoin after purchase. Alternately, an opaque adhesive tape may be used totemporarily prevent viewing the PIN until after purchase. These andother methods for securing valuable card information are well-known inthe art.

The PIN may be a unique identifier, such as a randomly generated numberthat is unique to the specific card. The associated barcode number mayalso be printed on the card so that it can be scanned (or swiped) at amerchant terminal at the point of sale. The use of barcodes and magneticstripes are well-known in the art. The card number may be another numberassociated with the card for other purposes. For instance, it may be aprovider routing number. It may also be a number printed on the card inaccordance with governmental guidelines or other norms.

The card information, such as the PIN number, associated barcode and/ormagnetically stored serial number, value, and card number may be storedin a database at the central processor. These numbers may be associatedtogether in a single entry for a single stored-value card. Byassociating them together in a single entry, the central processor maylater determine the other associated numbers after receiving a singlenumber, such as the PIN.

These numbers and other indicia may be printed on the card. Forinstance, the name of the service provider and the value of the card maybe printed on the card. The card may also show activation informationinstructing the customer how to activate the card. Redemptioninformation may comprise a 1-800 number (or other 8xxx number or otherphone number), an IVR input code or series of inputs, a website, and/orother information or instructions for accessing a central system and/orredeeming the card or otherwise modifying a customer account. Theredemption instruction information may be printed on the card, or it maybe printed on a receipt and provided to the customer upon purchase ofthe card.

Different instructions may be associated with different cards. Forinstance, cards associated with one service provider may have differentinstructions, such as a different 1-800 number, than a card associatedwith a different service provider. Different 1-800 numbers, websites, orinputs enable the central processor to distinguish the identity of theprovider or other feature of the card based on the method used to accessthe central system.

In step 1002, the customer purchases the card. The merchant (orcustomer) scans the card's barcode, swipes the card's magnetic strip,and/or otherwise inputs card information at a terminal, such as amerchant terminal. If the card is not pre-associated with a specificvalue, the customer may specify a particular value which may then beinput at the terminal. This defined value would then become the card'sassociated value, unless and until the associated value were laterchanged by the customer, merchant, central processor, or provider.

The merchant terminal transmits this card information to the centralprocessor. The merchant terminal may include other information in thetransmission, such as merchant or terminal identification information,other indicia information on the card, or customer information such asname and account number. This transmission may be either a request toactivate the card or a request to preauthorize the card (which may thenfollow with a related authorization request). A preauthorization requestmay merely query the central processor whether the card is a valid cardthat is ready to be activated.

In step 1003, the central processor receives information from themerchant terminal. This information may comprise card information andcustomer account information, such as a customer phone number. Forinstance, a terminal may read card information from the card and sendthe card information to a central processor. Customer accountinformation may also be input at the terminal. For instance, the phonenumber may be entered into a POS terminal, and the phone number may bepassed to a central processor (e.g., in the same or separatecommunication as passing the card information to the same centralprocessor).

This information may comprise any information input at the terminal aswell as any additional information passed from the terminal. In apreferred embodiment, the received information comprises the card'sbarcode or magnetic strip information. The central processor accessesthe database entry corresponding to the card. It may check the status ofthe card. For instance, it may check whether the card is a valid cardthat is ready to be activated. It may also verify whether the card hasbeen lost or stolen, or whether there is a database entry correspondingto the card information. It may also check whether the card isassociated with the merchant or requesting terminal; for instance, itmay check received terminal information against terminal informationstored in the card's entry in the database. In a preferred embodiment,the central processor verifies that the terminal is an authorizedterminal, such as a trusted source, for making stored-value cardrequests (or that the communication network used to make the request isa trusted communication network). For instance, if the merchanttransmits a merchant identifier along with the card information, thecentral processor may verify that the merchant identifier is associatedwith the card information in the database. At this point, the centralprocessor may send a pre-authorization back to the merchant terminal.

At this point, the central processor may preauthorize the card if thetransmission from the merchant terminal was a preauthorization request.For instance, the central processor may preauthorize a card that isvalid and ready to be issued. It may also make an amendment to the entryto indicate that the card has been preauthorized by a particularterminal. The preauthorization may be passed from the central processorto the merchant terminal. At this point, the card has not beenpurchased.

The merchant terminal may then receive the preauthorization and allowthe customer to proceed with the purchase. For instance, the merchantterminal may collect funds from the customer, e.g., in a credit card orcash transaction. Before, during, or after this time (such as when thecustomer's funds have cleared or after), the merchant terminal may thensend an authorization/activation request to the central processor. Thecentral processor may receive the authorization request, which mayinclude card information and merchant or terminal information (asdescribed herein), and process the information.

The central processor may then amend the stored-value card entrycorresponding to the received card information. The central processormay then activate and/or register the card. For example, the centralprocessor may amend the entry to show that the card has been registeredand/or activated. By activating and/or registering the card, the centralprocessor acknowledges that the card has been properly purchased at amerchant terminal. When the customer later attempts to redeem the cardand/or add value to a customer account (or otherwise amend a customeraccount), the central processor may deny the request if the card has notbeen validly issued or activated. This prevents theft of the cards,because a stolen card cannot be activated. The central processor maysend a transaction confirmation to the merchant terminal, which may passa confirmation to the customer. In some cases, the authorization willoccur long after the preauthorization (such as after a check clears), soa confirmation will not be passed to the customer.

If a PIN is not pre-printed on the card, the central processor may alsotransmit a PIN to the merchant terminal upon activation of the card. Themerchant terminal may then distribute the PIN to the customer, such ason a printed receipt. The central processor would then associate the PINwith the card, for example by storing the PIN in the card entry (or viceversa).

A preauthorization step is advantageous for theft and loss prevention.Without a preauthorization step, it was possible to redeem a card beforepaying for it. For instance, the card could be redeemed during the delaybetween when the card is processed (e.g., scanned and activated) andwhen the card is paid for (either by the merchant or by the customer).The delay may comprise the time it takes for a credit card or check tobe processed, or it may comprise the time at the checkout counterbetween when the card is scanned and the time the customer is actuallycharged. However, only an activated/authorized card can be redeemed, nota preauthorized card. By doing a preauthorization at the time ofscanning (or otherwise inputting card information at the merchantterminal), users cannot exploit this delay for illicit purposes. Then,when the card is activated, the funds may already be transferred, so thecustomer may not redeem value that has not been properly purchased.

It should be appreciated that steps 1002 and 1003 may involveback-and-forth communication between the merchant terminal and thecentral processor, including preauthorization andauthorization/activation requests and responses.

In step 1004, the customer accesses the central processor system. Forinstance, the customer may access the central processor to request toredeem the associated value. The central processor may comprise an IVRphone system or a central website associated with the central processor.The central processor system may also comprise any other means forcommunication between a customer and a central system known in the art.For purposes of the description herein, the central IVR and centralwebsite may be considered part of the general central processor system,along with the central processor database.

In optional step 1005, the central system prompts the customer forinformation. The prompt may be a prompt at a POS terminal. The promptmay also be at a customer's mobile phone (e.g., wherein the mobile phonehas a mobile phone number already provided by the customer and/or onrecord with the central system). In some embodiments, the prompt maycomprise instructions on a website, such as an input field on a website.The prompt may comprise any query by the central processor requestinginformation from the customer, such as a request to verify accountidentification information. The prompt may ask for any informationassociated with the card (e.g., a purchased card having associatedvalue), the service, or the customer, such as the PIN, associated value,and customer name, phone number or account number. For instance, thecustomer may be prompted for the identity of the provider. This andother information may also be automatically determined as describedherein.

In step 1006, the information is provided to the central system, such asby passing information from the merchant (e.g., the merchant terminal)to the central system (e.g., in response to the prompts). In a preferredembodiment, the customer may enter the card's PIN number and/or thecustomer's account number or phone number at a POS device, and thisinformation may be passed from the POS device to the central processor.

In step 1007, the central processor may identify the service providerassociated with the customer account and the customer account number.The central processor may also identify other information such as theserial number, other card indicia, value, customer name, address, socialsecurity number, or other customer or account information. Thisinformation may be identified based on customer input.

Some of the information may be automatically determined by the centralsystem. This information therefore does not require prompts or customerinput. For wireless telecommunication service, the account number may bethe customer's mobile phone number or mobile identification number(MIN). Identification information such as a MIN may be ascertained byautomatic number identification (ANI). For instance, if the customercalls an 800 number from the customer's wireless telephone, the centralsystem may identify the account associated with the wireless telephonenumber. For telephone long distance service, the central system maysimilarly identify an account associated with the telephone number. (Itshould be noted that ANI may be used to identify a merchant and/ormerchant terminal if the merchant terminal sends information to thecentral system via phone. For instance, a database linked to the centralprocessor may store a table or other database that associates differentmerchant phone numbers (or terminal phone numbers) with specificmerchants. In this way, a merchant may be identified.

The identity of the provider may also be determined automatically. Forinstance, as described above, the provider may be identified by themanner in which the customer accesses the central system. For instance,a particular 1-800 number (or similar number) may be associated with aparticular provider. Thus, when the central system receives a call froma customer at that number, it may automatically determine that acustomer's account must be associated with the particular provider.

The information received and identified by the central processor may bestored in a database, such as in the database entry for the associatedcard, where the different items of information are associated together.One piece of identifying information associated with the card may enablethe central processor to identify other associated card or accountinformation stored in the database entry.

It should be understood that steps 1005-1007 may involve back-and-forthcommunication between the customer and central system, and they maytherefore overlap and occur over the same time period.

In step 1008, the central processor inserts value information into theprovider's system. If the customer's account can be modified directly bythe central system, then the central system amends the customer'saccount and adds the value. For instance, the central processor may bethe provider or an affiliate of the provider and accordingly havemanagerial control over the accounts. In this case, it may add value tothe accounts directly.

It may also store amended account information, account historyinformation, and other account information according to well-knownmethods in the art.

If the customer's account cannot be modified directly by the centralsystem, then the central processor may “insert value” by passing valueinsertion information to the provider's system to enable the provider'ssystem to process the customer's request to add value. In a preferredembodiment, this information comprises the customer account and theassociated value. For example, the information may instruct the providerto add a certain amount (the associated value) to a specific account(the customer's account).

In order to pass the information to the provider, the central processormay access a database of the provider, wherein the provider databasestores stored-value account information for user accounts associatedwith the provider, such as wireless service accounts. The centralprocessor may also access the provider's website or other computerinterface.

In one embodiment, the central processor uses an internet protocoland/or file transfer protocol to transfer stored-value card and/or PINdata of the user. For instance, the central processor may send an xmlrequest to the provider's computer platform. Alternately, the requestmay be via email, ftp, or other means. The request may conform to theprovider's application programming interface (API) or other formattingrequirements. The request may comprise accessing a provider's IVR systemor website and/or inputting information at prompts from the providersystem. The processor may make any appropriate inputs to add value to acustomer's stored-value account. The central processor may pass PINand/or other account-related information to the provider (and/or itsdatabase), such as a PIN, user name, address, account number, wirelesstelephone number, password, or other information. For instance, thecentral processor may instruct the provider to add a certain amount to auser's stored-value account. This may occur during the same time frameas the original value insertion request from a POS terminal.

In step 1009, the provider adds the associated value to the customeraccount. This step is not necessary if value has already been added tothe customer account in step 1008, such as if the central system managesthe customer's account directly.

The third-party provider may first receive information from the centralprocessor passed in step 1008. To add value, the provider may amend itscustomer account records (such as those stored in a database) to reflectthe passed information, such as an increased value in a customeraccount. The provider may also send a transaction confirmation to thecentral processor via similar communication means, such as via xml. Theconfirmation may confirm that the PIN-related transaction was (or wasnot) completed successfully.

After value is added to (or inserted into) the account, the processorand/or provider may provide a transaction confirmation to the customer.The confirmation may comprise a positive or negative response, a newaccount balance, or other account- or card-related information. Anegative response may result when the carrier doesn't recognize theaccount, the customer's account has been deactivated, the account hasbeen suspended, or when other negative or questionable circumstances arepresent.

In step 1010, the customer uses the same stored-value card in asubsequent transaction. For instance, the card may be scanned or swipedat a second merchant terminal, and it may proceed in a manner similar tostep 1002. I.e., the merchant may input card information and transmitinformation to the central processor. This terminal may or may not bethe same as the first terminal, and it may be located at a differentmerchant's store.

Alternately, the central processor may receive card information over theinternet, email, phone, POS terminal, or other communication means. Forinstance, a customer may log onto a website associated with the centralprocessor and input card information, such as the card number or PIN.The customer may use any means for communicating with central processor,including a phone, PDA, computer, or other means.

In one embodiment, a different associated value may be specified foreach subsequent transaction. For instance, a customer may enter thevalue at an input field on a website, or the merchant may input the newvalue into the merchant terminal before or after inputting the cardinformation.

In another embodiment, a different provider may also be specified (e.g.,by the customer) for each transaction.

In step 1011, the central processor receives card information. Based onthis information, the central processor may automatically “recharge” thecard by causing the associated value into the customer's account.

This may occur in a manner similar to step 1003. The information may bereceived pursuant to a second request to activate the card or tootherwise process card information. The second request may be from asecond merchant terminal, which may be associated with a differentmerchant. The second request may also be from the same merchantterminal. The request may also be from a any source that may communicatewith the central processor, such as a computer, PDA, telephone or otherdevice.

The central processor may then determine whether an account number andprovider have been previously identified for the card associated withthe received card information. For instance, the processor may accessthe card's record in the database and determine whether the entryincludes an identified provider and account number. Because this accounthas already registered/activated above, and because the account and cardinformation have already been stored, the central processor recognizesthat this is an active card. For instance, the central processor mayreceive the barcode serial number or other identifier from the merchantterminal, and it may access the appropriate database entry and determinethat the account is activated.

Here, the account is already associated with a provider and accountnumber (and value, in a preferred embodiment) because the centralprocessor has already identified and stored such information during aprior transaction. There is no need for the extra step of 1006, whereinthe customer accesses the central system directly to make a redemptionrequest. Thus, the central processor automatically inserts the valueinto the customer's account, as described above for step 1008.

In some embodiments, value identification information and accountidentification information may be passed to the central processor duringthe recharge request. The value insertion process may then continue asdescribed elsewhere herein.

Step 1011 describes the process when a previously-processed card is usedfor a subsequent transaction. If a card has never been used for atransaction (and consequently the provider and account number have neverbeen identified), the process would begin from step 1001. It should benoted that each time card information is transmitted from a merchantterminal (or other source) to the central processor, the processor maycheck to determine whether the card is already associated with anaccount number and provider. If it has been, the processor mayautomatically complete the transaction, such as by passing a request toadd value to the provider or otherwise adding or inserting value intothe customer's account.

In step 1012, the central processor optionally sends a confirmation tothe merchant terminal, and the merchant terminal provides theconfirmation to the customer.

Additional activation requests may be made for the card. For instance,after purchasing a card from a merchant terminal and activating thecard, the customer may recharge the value of the card any number oftimes at any number of merchant terminals, including the same merchantterminal(s). The customer may also recharge the card via the internet ortelephone. The customer may also specify various parameters duringrecharge, such as a new associated value, new provider, and new PIN (orother identifier).

It should be appreciated that the central processor may be a computersystem of a provider, or it may be a separate system. For instance, thecentral processor may itself be a wireless carrier's computer system,wherein the carrier provides and redeems wireless PINs for customers.Alternately, it may be a system that is not directly affiliated with anywireless carrier, in which case it may merely serve as a centralizedsystem.

The central processor may offer special deals and promotions tocustomers based on this information. For instance, the central processormay make offers or give awards or advantages to customers based on thenumber (or value, or total value) of cards or PINs they purchase and/orprocess.

It should be understood that a service provider may be any provider ofany product and/or service. It should also be understood that theservice may be any product or service.

It will be understood that the specific embodiments of the inventionshown and described herein is exemplary only. Numerous variations,changes, substitutions and equivalents will now occur to those skilledin the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the presentinvention. Accordingly, it is intended that all subject matter describedherein and shown in the accompanying drawings be regarded asillustrative only and not in a limiting sense and that the scope of theinvention be solely determined by the appended claims.

1-24. (canceled)
 25. A method of adding a value redeemable with one ormore providers including a specific provider having a customer accountidentified by a specific customer account number, the method utilizing acentral processor in selective communication with a point of sale deviceand the one or more providers, the method comprising: receiving at thecentral processor from a point of sale terminal, a request to add valueto the pre-existing customer account, the request comprising: valueidentification data of the amount of value to be added to the customeraccount; account identification data associated with the pre-existingcustomer account; the value identification data and accountidentification data being received by the point of sale device;determining by the central processor, the specific provider associatedwith the customer account; communicating by the central processor, witha processor of the specific provider; and providing by the centralprocessor to the processor of the specific provider, the valueidentification data and the account identification data, wherein thevalue is added to the pre-existing customer account by the specificprovider.
 26. The method of claim 25, wherein at least one of the valueidentification data and the account identification data is entered atthe point of sale terminal using a keycard.
 27. The method of claim 25,wherein the account identification data is a phone number.
 28. Themethod of claim 25, further comprising: transmitting a confirmation codeassociated with the purchase of the value to the point of sale terminalafter receiving the request to add the value to the pre-existingcustomer account.
 29. The method of claim 25, further comprising:storing information about the request to add value to the customeraccount in a database; after the storing action, receiving a secondrequest to add a second value to the customer account; processing thesecond request and the stored information about the request to identifythe account provider.
 30. The method of claim 25, wherein the value isassociated with a card, and wherein the value identification datacomprises card identification information entered at the point-of-sale.31. The method of claim 25, wherein the step of providing the valueidentification data to the specific provider comprises the centralprocessor sending to the specific provider a file conforming to anapplication programming interface (API) of the specific provider. 32.The method of claim 25, wherein the customer account is used for atleast one of: wireless telephone service; paging service;internet-enabled communication service; utility service; bundled utilityservice; cable television service; satellite television service;land-line telephone service; internet access; credit services; wirelessweb access; emergency road service; transportation service; onlinedating service; internet access; film processing; gift certificate(s);prepaid gas; prepaid grocery; prepaid entertainment; prepaid movie;downloadable ring tones; downloadable games; downloadable movie;downloadable music encoded using at least one of MP3, MP4, Windows MediaVideo (WMV) and Windows Wave (WAV) music formats; customer rewards;bridge toll; road toll; long distance telephone communication; andwireless communication.
 33. The method of claim 25, further comprisingdetermining the specific customer account number based on the accountidentification data.
 34. A method of adding a value redeemable with oneor more providers including a specific provider having a customeraccount identified by a specific customer account number, the methodutilizing a central processor in selective communication with a point ofsale device and the one or more providers, the method comprising:receiving at the central processor from a point of sale terminal, arequest to add value to the pre-existing customer account, the requestcomprising: identification of the amount of value to be added to thecustomer account; account identification data associated with thecustomer account; determining by the central processor, the specificprovider based on the account identification data; communicating by thecentral processor, with a processor of the specific provider; andproviding by the central processor to the processor of the specificprovider, the identification of the amount of value to be added to thecustomer account and the account identification data, wherein the valueis added to the customer account by the specific provider.
 35. Themethod of claim 34, wherein the account identification data is a phonenumber.
 36. The method of claim 34, wherein the value is associated witha card, and wherein the value identification data comprises cardidentification information entered at the point-of-sale.
 37. The methodof claim 34, wherein the step of providing the identification of theamount of value to be added to the customer account and the accountidentification data to the specific provider comprises the centralprocessor sending to the specific provider a file conforming to anapplication programming interface (API) of the specific provider. 38.The method of claim 34, wherein the customer account is used for atleast one of: wireless telephone service; paging service;internet-enabled communication service; utility service; bundled utilityservice; cable television service; satellite television service;land-line telephone service; internet access; credit services; wirelessweb access; emergency road service; transportation service; onlinedating service; internet access; film processing; gift certificate(s);prepaid gas; prepaid grocery; prepaid entertainment; prepaid movie;downloadable ring tones; downloadable games; downloadable movie;downloadable music encoded using at least one of MP3, MP4, Windows MediaVideo (WMV) and Windows Wave (WAV) music formats; customer rewards;bridge toll; road toll; long distance telephone communication; andwireless communication.
 39. The method of claim 34, further comprisingdetermining the specific customer account number based on the accountidentification data.
 40. The method of claim 34, further comprising thestep of financial settlement between the point of sale device, thecentral processor, and the specific provider.
 41. The method of claim34, wherein the identification of the amount of value to be added to thecustomer account does not include any applicable fees, taxes, or servicecharges.
 42. A system of adding a value redeemable with one or moreproviders including a specific provider having a customer accountidentified by a specific customer account number, the system comprising:an input device in selective communication with at least one point ofsale terminal for receiving from the point of sale terminal a request toadd the value to the customer account, the request comprising valueidentification data associated with the value and account identificationdata associated with the customer account; a processor for determiningthe specific provider and the specific customer account number based onthe account identification data; and an output device for communicating,by the central processor, with a processor of the specific provider andproviding to the central processor of the specific provider the valueidentification data and the account identification data, wherein thevalue is added to the pre-existing customer account by the specificprovider.